Three times as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. One of the reasons for this imbalance is that we may be pathologizing normal boy behavior. In this video Dr. Thomas Armstrong compares normal gender differences in free play situations. Boys prefer changing activities more often than girls, they gravitate toward playing with vehicles and weapons (girls prefer playing with dolls and domestic toys), they like to engage in ''rough-and-tumble'' play (girls prefer more cooperative play), and they're attracted to nonverbal sounds (girls are more tuned in to verbal sounds). The standard American classroom is tailor-made for girls and puts boys at a disadvantage, where their ''all-boy behavior'' is often interpreted by the female teacher as representing ADHD. Over 95% of teachers at the primary level in school are women, and at home, mothers are the primary movers and shakers as far as seeking help for their sons' behavior issues. Women are using their own feminine values to judge male behavior. This unjust situation may account for a significant number of ADHD diagnoses in boys. For more information, see my book The Myth of the ADHD Child: 101 Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion. And visit my website at: www.institute4learning.com.
3 окт 2024
